Flow head with adjustable flow bean



y 30, 1933. D. R. KNOWLTON ET AL 1 91 ,905

FLOW HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE FLOW BEAN Filed Dec. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 r w I Q D S 1) W wwuum y, I N 1"? mlhgg H HQ I! a i a Mg mm W gnventou ,D. I? [thou/"Zion Z. E flefelzazg M. a. v

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May 30, 1933. D. R. KNOWLTON ET AL 1,911,905

FLOW HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE FLOW BEAN Filed Dec. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fluiifizaudion i: E flefmayh abhouwq Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DONALD R. KNOWLTON, OF BARTLESVILLE, AND LLOYD F. DEFENBAUGH, OF..OKLA- HOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNORS '10 PHILLIPS PETROLEUM COMPANY, OF BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HEAD WITH ADiTUSTABLE FLOW BEAN Application filed December 12, 1931. Serial No. 580,668. g

This invention relates to improvements in combination flow heads and adjustable flow beans for oil wells or the like, and the primary purpose of the present invention is to specifically improve the device disclosed 1n the D. R. Knowlton U. S. Patent No. 1,831,-

713, dated November 10, 1931. That pat-' ent discloses a cruci-form fitting having an inlet at its bottom communicating with the 1 upper end of a well conduit and having a lateral port communicating with a flow line which leads the fluid from the fitting to an oil and gas separator. A tubular flow re stricting member is removably arranged in the fitting and cooperates with a tapered or substantially cone-shaped valve. In accordance with the present invention, improved means are employed to connect the flow pipe to the fitting, for mounting the flow restricting member in the fitting, for accommodating the valve head, so that the latter will not interfere with the swabbing of the tubing, for mounting either a bull plug, sand cap, or oil saver at the top of the fitting, and for indigating the size of the opening through the ean.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of a combination flow head and adjustable fiow bean made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification. 1

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing another form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is an elevation partly in section and partly broken away, of an Indicator portion of a which may be used with either form of the device. i

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of F ig. 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, i designates a vertical Well conduit, to the upper end of which we connect by any suitable means, such as the threaded fjoint 5, a cruci-form metal fitting 6 which orms communicating vertical and horizontal passageways 7 and 8. The lower end of the passageway 7 communicates with the conduit 4, and its upper end is closed by a bull plug 9 having a shock absorbing insert 10 of wood or the like.

The fitting forms a pair of oppositely disposed lateral nipples 11 and 12, the former having internal threads and the latter external threads. In the above mentioned patent, a swage or flared tubular member is connected to the nipple 12, and this necessitates the placing of the joint connecting the flow ipe to said swage, at a point some distance rom the extremity of the nipple 12. We eliminate this disadvantage in the present invention by placing a blank plug or ring 13 directly on the nipple and joined to the latter by a threaded connection 14. This permits the flow ipe 15 to be directly connected to the blank ange by means of a split sleeve coupling 16 of the type having lips 17 which fit into grooves 18 and 19 in the blank flange and flow pipe. Of course, fluid tight joints are providediby such means. We have also improved the device by arranging the tubular flow restricting member 20 directly in the port 21 formed by the nipple 12, and in accordance with the present invention, said port provides a frustoconic'al seat 22 to receive the complementary surface of the member 20, and it will be noted that the external diameter of the member 20 is less than the diameter of the port in the nipple 11, so that the member 20 can be inserted or removed through the nipple 11 for replacement or repair, or for interchanging the same with a flow restricting member of a different internal diameter, different length, or both. In Fig. 2 it will be observed that the flow restricting member 20a is of larger internal diameter and of greater length than the one shown in Fig. 1.

Like in the above mentioned patent, the flow restricting member cooperates with a valve head 23 which is preferably of substantially conical shape and moves into and out of the flow restricting member; said head being actuated by a manually operated stem 24- having threads 25 thatv engage the threads of a nut 26, which is preferably part of a threaded plug 27 that normally-closes the port in the nipple 11.

The inside diameter of the member 20 can be made any size to meet the needs of the well on open flow. When the adjustable bean is used, the long member 20a, Fig. 2 can be pulled, and replaced by a short member 20 without tearing down any connections. The inside diameter of the member 20 is the same as the outside diameter of the needle or head 23, at a position about four inches from the tip of the needle, so that the needle will seat if it is projected into the member 20 to this extent. 7

By using a tapered seat for the member 20, instead of a threaded connection, cutting of any threads is prevented, due to the flow of abrasives with the oil, and this eliminates the necessity of re-threading or discarding the fitting when the threads are damaged.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 was specifically devised to take care of wells requiring swabbing before flowin Therefore, the upper end of the cruci-f orm fitting has a nipple 30 provided with internal threads 31, into which may be screwed a bull plug of the type shown at 9 in Fig. 1. Immediately above the threads is an annular shoulder 32 for the accommodation of a sand cap or oil saver, indicated generally at 33, and held down by screws 34 which are mounted in the wall of the nipple above the shoulder 32.

Instead of using the blank flange 13 of Fig. 1, in this instance, we connect the flow pipe 35 to the nipple 12a by an ordinary coupling 36, or by any suitable coupling and without the blank flange.

In order that the swab may work through the passageway without interference by the valve head 23a, or for preventing this head from interferring with flow through the fitting, we elongate the nipple 11a or otherwise change the device so that the valve head may be withdrawn entirely into the port 8a or to a position where it will not obstruct passageway 7a. Obviously, when in the dotted line position, it will be entirely to one side of the vertical passageway 7a.

It will be noted in Fig. 3 that the internal diameter of the sleeve 20?) is substantially the same as the internal diameter of the pipe 4a. Consequently, when the valve is opened, there will be a free flow of the fluid through the fitting, but when desired, this flow may be restricted to various degrees, owing to the special shape of the head 23a.

Either form of the invention may be provided with the improved indicator shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this arrangement, the plug 50 which supports the valve has a pointer 51 attached thereto, and when the wheel 52 is removed from the threaded stem 53, a calibrated sleeve 54 may be placed on the stem and be secured in position by any suitable means such as a set screw 55. The sleeve is provided with a spiral groove 56 or the. like which coincides with the threads of the stem, and suitable indicating marks 57 are arranged along the groove to cooperate with the pointer and indicate the degree of opening of the valve.

It will be observed that our pointer is stationary on the bonnet or plug 50, and the scale is marked on the sleeve 54: which fits over the stem. The sleeve is set at zero when the bean is closed, and is then held in this position by means of the screw 55. In operation, as the stem travels out, in opening the bean, the pointer follows the spiral line and points to the area of opening as indicated by the numbers which are stamped on the line at proper points. This arrangement has advantages over the known types of indicators, as the use of a sleeve and spiral line provides increased space for the arrangement of the indicating numerals.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understood, and

it is manifest that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the claim.

What we claim and desire to secure by Let ter's Patent is:

1 In a well, a vertical well pipe, a flow head with adjustable flow bean mounted on the upper end of said pipe and including a hollow fitting provided with oppositely disposed coaxial first and second lateral ports, a vertical passageway inthe fitting coaxial with the well pipe and communicating with and positioned between'said ports, the upper end of the passageway having a tubular wall, a cap element detachably secured to said wall and closing the upper end of said passageway,

having a threaded connection with the plug, and a valve head carried by the stem and movable into and out of the second port and v the tubular flow restricting member, the sec- 0nd port and sleeved plug being so arranged that said head may be withdrawn to a position Where it will not obstruct said vertical passageway.

In testimony whereof, we hereto afiix our signatures.

DONALD R. KNOWLTON. LLOYD F. DEFENBAUGH. 

